Securable Parapet Cap Roof Mat

ABSTRACT

In a first embodiment a safety mat for use with a parapet cap on a wall is disclosed. The cap extends over the top of the wall and partially down each side of the wall. The safety mat includes a flexible pad having a width greater than a width of the top wall; a first cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from an interior of the pad toward a first width end; and a second cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second width end.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of safety equipment andmore particularly to a safety mat for use with a parapet wall having acap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many flat building roofs have parapet walls around the edges of theroof. The parapet wall in turn usually has a cap over the top of thewall and extending partially down each side of the wall for sealing thetop of the wall. This cap is made of a variety of materials includingsheet metal. In many cases in order to access the roof a ladder must beraised to the side of the parapet wall and the person trying to accessthe roof will have to step onto and over the wall from the ladder. Sucha maneuver can be dangerous under the best conditions and especially soif the cap is wet from dew, rain snow, sleet or ice.

The concept of utilizing a mat over a surface to increase traction iswell known. Various designs of mats for use in roofing settings havebeen put forth. U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,676 to Meniman et al. discloses aslip resistant floor mat for use on angled roofs. The mat includes alayered anti-slip surface with cloth reinforcing strip. The mat is heldin place by hooks attached to the mat at one end.

Another example is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,245 to Turner in which aportable roof mat is disclosed. This mat is designed to be utilized onroof surfaces to create a walkway on a roof.

Other safety mat designs have incorporated features pertaining to howthe anti-slip surface is to be designed. For example, U.S. Pat. No.4,137,356 to Shoemaker et al. discloses a specific pattern of raisedprojections for supplying traction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first embodiment a safety mat for use with a parapet cap on a wallis disclosed. The cap extends over the top of the wall and partiallydown each side of the wall. The safety mat includes a flexible padhaving a width greater than a width of the top wall; a first cinch downstrap extending at a first end thereof from an interior of the padtoward a first width end; and a second cinch down strap extending at afirst end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second widthend.

In preferred embodiments of the mat the first and second cinch downstraps include hooks on an end opposite the interior of the pad. It ishighly preferred that the safety mat further include a third cinch downstrap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the padtoward a first width end; and a fourth cinch down strap extending at afirst end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second widthend.

In further embodiments the width of the safety mat is dimensioned sothat the flexible pad hangs over the parapet cap extending partiallydown the wall when the safety mat is in the deployed position. Inpreferred versions, the flexible pad of the safety mat further includesa length and an open pattern section extending the entire length of thepad and a part of the width of the pad. It is highly preferable that theopen pattern section is at least as wide as the section of the parapetcap covering the top of the wall.

In another embodiment, the safety mat further includes a pair of laddercinch down straps extending at a first end thereof from the interior ofthe pad toward a first width end. Such an embodiment could also includea pair of ladder mounting straps for holding mat onto a top of a ladderwhile the ladder is lifted.

In a still further embodiment a method of protecting a parapet capdisposed over the top of a wall and extending at least partially downeach side of the wall is disclosed. The method includes the step ofproviding a safety mat including a flexible pad having a width greaterthan a width of the top wall; a first cinch down strap extending at afirst end thereof from an interior of the pad toward a first width end;and a second cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from theinterior of the pad toward a second width end. Next, the safety mat isplaced over the top of the wall so that first and second cinch downstraps hang over different sides of the parapet cap. Finally each of thefirst and second cinch down straps are secured to a respective end ofthe parapet cap extending down the wall.

In other embodiments of the method the safety mat further includes athird cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from theinterior of the pad toward a first width end; and a fourth cinch downstrap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the padtoward a second width end. In such an embodiment the method furtherincludes the step of securing each of the third and fourth cinch downstrap to a respective end of the parapet cap extending down the wall.Furthermore, the cinch down straps could include hooks on an endopposite the interior of the pad.

In some embodiments the width of the flexible pad used in the method isdimensioned so that the flexible pad hangs over the parapet capextending partially down the wall when the safety mat is in the deployedposition. In preferred versions, the flexible pad further includes alength and an open pattern section extending the entire length of thepad and a part of the width of the pad. Highly preferably the width ofthe open pattern section is at least as wide as the section of theparapet cap covering the top of the wall.

In further embodiments the safety mat further includes a pair of laddercinch down straps extending at a first end thereof from the interior ofthe pad toward a first width end. In such an embodiment, the methodfurther includes the step of placing a ladder against the safety mat andsecuring the ladder cinch straps to the ladder. In addition the safetymat could further includes a pair of ladder mounting straps for holdingmat onto a top of a ladder while the ladder is lifted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a safety mat according to a preferredembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the safety mat of FIG. 1 secured to a parapetcap with a ladder secured to the safety mat;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the ladder of FIG. 2 taken along theline III-III of FIG. 2 with a safety mat attached for installation; and

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1 a safety mat 10 according to a preferredembodiment is shown. In this embodiment the mat 10 is preferably made ofrubber and is generally rectangular in shape, although other shapescould be utilized. The mat 10 includes opposite length sides 12, 14 anda opposite width sides 16, 18. The mat 10 is comprised of three primaryregions extending between the width sides 16, 18. The center region 20is of a crossing pattern defining opening 22 for allowing moisture topass through. On each side of the center region is a solid side region24. Furthermore, the mat 10 includes a top side 26 that is coated withan anti-slip coating like a sandpaper for grip. The bottom side (notshown) is not coated to protect the surface under the mat 10.

The safety mat 10 further includes a cap strap system. This cap strapsystem includes two opposite pairs of cinch down straps 28, 30. Thefirst pair of straps 28 extends from the interior of the mat nearopposite width sides 16, 18 and over the first length side 12. Thelocation near, but not at the width sides 16, 18 ensures that the straps28 stays over the mat 10 during use. The opposite pair of straps 30extends from the interior of the mat near opposite width sides 16, 18and over the second length side 14. Each strap includes an end 32hanging over the length sides 12, 14 and each end 32 is attached to ahook 34. In this preferred embodiment the cinch down straps 28, 30 areof a releasable cam-buckle design; however any tightening straps knownin the art could be utilized. For example, bungee cords or rachetingstraps could be used. This holds tile for any of the cinch down strapsdescribed herein.

The safety mat 10 also includes a ladder strap system. This ladder strapsystem includes a pair of ladder cinch down straps 36. The ladder cinchdown straps 36 extend from the interior of the mat 10 closer to thefirst length side 12 than the second length side 14 and preferably aladders-width apart and centered on the middle of the width of the mat10. The ladder cinch down straps 36 do not extend past the length sides12, 14. Each of the ladder cinch down straps 36 includes an end 38including a hook 40.

Finally, the safety mat 10 includes a ladder mounting system. Thisladder mounting system includes a pair of ladder lifting straps 42. Theladder lifting straps 42 extend from the interior of the mat 10 closerto the second length side 14 than the first length side 12 andpreferably a ladders-width apart and centered on the middle of the widthof the mat 10. The top 44 of one of the ladder lifting straps 42 and thebottom (not shown) of the other ladder lifting straps preferablyincludes hook and loop fasteners.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4 the safety mat 10 is shown in use. In mostcases in order to use the safety mat 10 the mat must be raised intoposition and attached to a cap on top of a parapet wall 60. This is bestaccomplished by attaching the mat 10 to a ladder 50. The ladder 50includes side rails 52 and a plurality of steps 54. The ladder cinchdown straps 36 are attached to the side rails 52 several steps down fromthe top of the ladder 50 as seen in FIG. 2. Referring now to FIG. 3, theladder lifting straps 42 are wrapped around a ladder step 54 above wherethe cinch down straps 36 are placed and secured to each other utilizingthe hook and loop fasteners, thus securing the mat 10 to the ladder 50.

Next, the ladder 50 is positioned with the safety mat 10 in contact withthe cap 62 of a parapet wall 60. Preferably the safety mat 10 ispositioned with the center region 20 extending slightly over the sides64 of the cap 62. This will keep moisture from building up on top of thesafety mat 10. Once the ladder 50 is raised and positioned, the personutilizing the mat 10 can climb the ladder and undo the ladder liftingstraps 42 to allow the safety mat 10 to overlap the top of the cap 62 asseen in FIG. 4.

The final step of the installation is to secure the cap strap system tothe cap 62. The cinch down straps 28, 30 are put into place with thehook 34 over a lower edge 66 of the cap 62. The cinch down straps 28, 30are then tightened and the safety mat 20 is secured to the cap 62. It isimportant to note that preferably the ladder cinch down straps 36 remainin place in order to keep the ladder in place during use.

While the principles of the invention have been shown and described inconnection with specific embodiments, it is to be understood that suchembodiments are by way of example and are not limiting.

1. A safety mat for use with a parapet cap on a wall, the cap extendingover the top of the wall and partially down each side of the wall, themat comprising: a flexible pad having a width greater than a width ofthe top wall; a first cinch down strap extending at a first end thereoffrom an interior of the pad toward a first width end; and a second cinchdown strap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the padtoward a second width end.
 2. The safety mat of claim 1 wherein thefirst and second cinch down straps include hooks on an end opposite theinterior of the pad.
 3. The safety mat of claim 1 further comprising athird cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from theinterior of the pad toward a first width end; and a fourth cinch downstrap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the padtoward a second width end.
 4. The safety mat of claim 3 wherein thecinch down straps include hooks on an end opposite the interior of thepad.
 5. The safety mat of claim 4 wherein the width is dimensioned sothat the flexible pad hangs over the parapet cap extending partiallydown the wall when the safety mat is in a deployed position.
 6. Thesafety mat of claim 5 wherein the flexible pad further includes a lengthand an open pattern section extending the entire length of the pad and apart of the width of the pad.
 7. The safety mat of claim 6 wherein thewidth of the open pattern section is at least as wide as the section ofthe parapet cap covering the top of the wall.
 8. The safety mat of claim5 further comprising a pair of ladder cinch down straps extending at afirst end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a first width end.9. The safety mat of claim 8 further comprising a pair of laddermounting straps for holding mat onto a top of a ladder while the ladderis lifted.
 10. A method of protecting a parapet cap disposed over thetop of a wall and extending at least partially down each side of thewall, the method comprising providing a safety mat including a flexiblepad having a width greater than a width of the top wall; a first cinchdown strap extending at a first end thereof from an interior of the padtoward a first width end; and a second cinch down strap extending at afirst end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second widthend; placing the safety mat over the top of the wall so that first andsecond cinch down straps hang over different sides of the parapet cap;and securing each of the first and second cinch down straps to arespective end of the parapet cap extending down the wall.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein the safety mat further includes a third cinchdown strap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the padtoward a first width end; and a fourth cinch down strap extending at afirst end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second widthend, the method further comprising the step of securing each of thethird and fourth cinch down strap to a respective end of the parapet capextending down the wall.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of thecinch down straps include hooks on an end opposite the interior of thepad.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the width of the flexible pad isdimensioned so that the flexible pad hangs over the parapet capextending partially dow n the wall when the safety mat is in thedeployed position.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the flexible padfurther includes a length and an open pattern section extending theentire length of the pad and a part of the width of the pad.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 wherein the width of the open pattern section is atleast as wide as the section of the parapet cap covering the top of thewall.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein the safety mat further includesa pair of ladder cinch down straps extending at a first end thereof fromthe interior of the pad toward a first width end the method furthercomprising the step of placing a ladder against the safety mat andsecuring the ladder cinch straps to the ladder.
 17. The method of claim16 wherein the safety mat further includes a pair of ladder mountingstraps for holding mat onto a top of a ladder while the ladder islifted.